He was feeling a lot more grateful for their housekeeper after this. He could’ve had Imelda make the meal and deliver it to his suite, but he wanted Caroline to know he’d made an effort to do something special for her. He’d screwed everything up and needed to get back in her good graces.
She should be there soon if she got off on time, so he lit the candles on the table and dimmed all the other lights in the room. The table was set with a bouquet of red roses in the middle, and he had soft music playing on the stereo. He couldn’t think of anything else he needed to do, so he started pacing, waiting for Caroline.
When she hadn’t show up five minutes after the time he expected her, he started to get anxious. Was she still coming? She’d said she would, but he couldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to see him. He’d made a royal ass of himself. He should’ve known that wouldn’t end well. What did he expect to happen when he showed up at her work and started pitching a fit? All he’d done was embarrass her and make her angry.
He wasn’t normally like that. Taven was the one who flew off the handle, not him. But when it came to Caroline, he never seemed to be able to control himself. Everything she did got his blood boiling in one way or another.
He craved control almost as much as he craved her. He hated that he couldn’t control himself around her, hated that he couldn’t control her, and hated that he felt the overwhelming need to control everything. He was just like his father, and if he didn’t get a hold of himself, he worried that Caroline was going to end up like his mother. And he hated the thought of that more than anything. He’d rather give her up than have her give up on life.
He plucked a few bad petals off the roses, brushed some crumbs off the table, and straightened the silverware, being careful not to get sweaty fingerprints on it.
When Caroline hadn’t shown up after ten minutes, he started to worry that something had happened. Had she been hurt? It wasn’t like her not to call or text him if she changed her plans. He shot her a quick text, but she didn’t respond. Was this how she’d felt the other day when he was late? That made him feel even worse about it.
When she was 20 minutes late, he pulled on his holster, grabbed his keys, and was just about to walk out the door to go looking for her when there was a knock at his door, and her soft voice called out. “Roric? It’s Caroline.”
He sighed in relief, shucked his holster, and yanked open the door. His whole body relaxed at the sight of her. He couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her, engulfing her tiny body. She felt so small, so fragile, even though he knew she wasn’t now that she was a vampire. He thought she might push him away, but instead she burrowed her head into his chest and put her hands around his waist.
It felt like it’d been forever since he’d held her. He nuzzled his nose in her soft hair, searching for her unique scent. It was buried under the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, but it was there. His mouth filled with saliva at the delicious odor.
He quickly rattled off all the things he’d been wanting to say to her as he stroked her back, wanting to get his apology out there before they did anything else. “I missed you. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. Can you forgive me?”
She lifted her head to look at him, and he could see the angst on her face. “I missed you, too. I’m sorry for what I did. It was reckless. I should’ve taken him to the clinic and let them decide what to do with him. I just felt so bad for him.”
He knew exactly what she meant. He’d felt the same way when he’d found her, bitten and bleeding to death. That feeling had prompted him to do the most reckless thing ever, and he still felt it every time he thought about her. But the fact that she felt that way about someone else burned a pit in his stomach. Would her sympathy for Houston lead to deeper feelings like they had for him?
He wanted to hash out the issue, but more than that, he wanted to enjoy his time with her, and he was afraid if they started talking about it, they’d end up fighting again. He decided to put it on the back burner for now and focus on them instead. “What’s done is done. We’ll deal with it. Let’s not talk about him right now, okay? I just want to spend some time with you.”
She nodded, but the look on her face told him something was still bothering her.
“I made dinner. Are you hungry?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “You cooked? I didn’t think you knew how to.”
“Sure. Of course. I can cook if I need to. It’s just, Imelda usually makes enough for everybody, so… But I wanted to do something special for you.”
She smiled and moved past him, checking out the table. “I’m impressed. Do I smell spaghetti and garlic bread?”
He winced and dropped his head. “Uh, well, the garlic bread didn’t turn out too good, so I had to scratch that. But the spaghetti should be fine.”
She chuckled and smiled at him, and the look hit him in the heart like cupid’s arrow. She was so beautiful. And when she was happy, she was stunning.
He hustled over to the kitchen and took the lid off the pot of spaghetti then dished some out onto each plate and carried them over to the table. Caroline had sat down and unfolded her napkin on her lap.
He set a plate in front of her then quickly wiped a smear of sauce off the edge and licked his finger clean. He wished he had one of those fancy cheese graters so he could grate fresh parmesan over her food, but he hadn’t thought of that in time, so they’d have to make do with the stuff in the jar.
He set his own plate down then took a seat across from her and pulled the chilled bottle of wine out of the silver ice bucket. She watched as he poured them each a glass of Chianti. He thought about making a toast, but everything he wanted to say sounded cheesy, so instead he just clinked their glasses together and stared at her as he took a sip, trying to convey all his feelings in a look.
He thought about asking her again to move in with him but he was afraid she’d turn him down since they’d just had a fight, and he worried that if she said no too many times, she’d never be willing to say yes. What he really wanted to do was ask her to mate with him, but there was no way he was going to risk that until he was sure how she felt about him. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel trapped in their relationship.
Caroline dug into the food, and Roric held his breath as she took a bite. She chewed and swallowed happily, and he let out his breath with a sigh. “This is good, Roric. Thank you.”
Imelda would be aghast at his use of sauce from a jar, but he should’ve known that Caroline wouldn’t be like that. She was easy to please. All he had to do was respect her. So why was that so hard sometimes?
He opened and shut his mouth several times, starting and rejecting possible topics of conversation as they ate. He didn’t want to ask her anything that might cause tension. Finally, he settled on something boring but hopefully safe.
“So, how’s Gray doing? Did he find a boyfriend yet, or is he still flirting with every guy that comes in the bar?” He’d been jealous of her relationship with her coworker for about a minute till he found out that Gray was more attracted to him than he was to Caroline.
Caroline chuckled into her wine glass. “He’s still single and actively looking. Today he was salivating over Houston.”
Her smile dropped as soon as the name left her lips, and Roric’s face pinched in response. “Houston was there?”
“Yeah, I think he just wanted someone to talk to who understood. He hasn’t told his friends or parents yet, and he’s worried how they’re going to react. He doesn’t know any other vampires besides me. I’m sure a lot of new vampires feel the same way. I know I would’ve if I hadn’t had you. I was thinking maybe I could start a support group for them.”
The idea of Caroline in charge of a room full of impulsive new vampires made his whole body tense up again like it had when he was waiting for her to show up. His muscles vibrated with coiled tension, ready to spring loose. He squeezed his fists into granite stones and tried to spea
k calmly through clenched teeth. “Caroline, a support group is a great idea, but someone else needs to run it, not you.”
She jabbed her fork into her spaghetti and furrowed her brows. “Why not me? Obviously, no one else is interested in doing it or they would’ve done it by now. There are dozens of new vampires out there who could benefit from this.”
He shook his head, feeling his overheated blood blazing under his skin. “Caroline, please, just listen to me for once. It’s too dangerous. I can’t let you do it. That’s what the council hired Raven for. Let her handle it.”
She calmly put her fork down as she finished chewing her food. Then she wiped her mouth with her napkin and took a drink, glaring at him over her wineglass. When she set it down, she let into him.
“You can’t let me do it? You can’t stop me, Roric. This is my decision. I want to try to help these people. Just because we’re… whatever we are, doesn’t mean you get to tell me what I can and can’t do. If that’s the kind of relationship you want, I’m not interested.”
She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, exposing her neck. His eyes darted to it instinctively, but it wasn’t the pale blue vein pulsing under her skin that caught his eye. It was a smear of blood beside it. Had someone been drinking from her?
Roric felt the steam start to curl off his body as his insides ignited, and even the breeze coming in through the window wasn’t enough to cool him down. He tried to tamp down the blaze, but there was no stopping it. He jumped up and grabbed her head, twisting her neck so he could see it better.
“Why is there blood on your neck, Caroline?” His voice seethed with barely-controlled rage.
She gulped and slapped a hand over the exact spot. “It’s nothing.”
“The hell it is! Who’s been drinking from you? Is it him? Are you feeding him?”
“No! He lost control for a moment and tried to bite me, but I stopped him. I gave him a blood bag and told him he needed to go to the clinic.”
Roric threw his head back and roared. “Arrgh! This is exactly why you shouldn’t be around a bunch of new vamps — they can’t control themselves! I deal with them every day. I see what they’re like. They’re wild and unpredictable.”
His phone rang then, the loud melody jolting him out of his haze of fury. It was the Agency’s ringtone. He stomped over to the dresser and grabbed his phone, jabbing at the button. “Roric!”
His jaw clenched like a vise, grinding his teeth together till they were at risk of shattering. As soon as he hung up, he whipped around to look at Caroline who was staring at him.
“There’s been a major incident. Some rogue vamps attacked a group of humans at a dance club.”
Her mouth fell open, and her eyes quivered with shock and fear. Maybe this would be enough to convince her that she had no business getting involved with new vampires.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can, but it’s probably gonna be a while.” He leaned down to kiss her, but she stiffened under his touch.
Chapter 17
Caroline clicked on the TV to see if there was anything on the news about the attack. She didn’t see anything yet, so her imagination was left to conjure up scenarios. Were the humans injured? Turned? Killed? What was the vampires’ motive?
When she was a human, she detested vampires, believing they were all monsters who lived for blood and took it at any cost. Meeting Roric and turning into a vampire herself had changed her mind some, and she knew vampires were capable of loving, living peaceful lives, and doing good. But lately, she was starting to question that again. She’d never wanted to be a vampire, but stories like this made her more ashamed than ever.
Why were so many going rogue and attacking humans? Were they just unguided and didn’t know how to control themselves? The vampire community had to find a way to teach these vampires how to adapt to their new life, or vampires were going to become public enemy number one.
Roric might not want her to be involved, but somebody needed to step up and do something about it. She couldn’t think of a better way for her to prove to herself that vampires could still do good than for her to find a way to help others like herself. She knew Roric was trying to protect her, but his blatant refusal set her on edge.
The bright, flickering candlelight turned into acrid curls of gray smoke that quickly disappeared into thin air as she blew out the candles, the fire snuffed out just like her hopes of a nice night with Roric. She put away the food that Roric had left out and dumped the plates in the sink.
Maybe she’d come back later to clean it up, maybe she wouldn’t. Roric would probably be gone for hours, and when he came back, he’d be tired. Plus, she didn’t feel like arguing with him. She wasn’t going to change her mind, no matter what he said.
She used to be terrified of vampires, but one of the few good things about being one was that she no longer had to fear them, or anything else, for that matter. She was strong and fast, practically invisible. She could take care of herself. Why did Roric act like she was still a weak human? Besides, why would another vampire want to hurt her?
She grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. In a few minutes, she was at the clinic. Natasha sat behind the check-in desk, and Caroline smiled at the familiar face. Natasha knew her and knew she was Roric’s girlfriend, which gave her more credibility. She glanced around the waiting room then hurried up to the desk and slapped her damp hands on the counter. Anxious energy had her body humming.
“Hey Natasha, I have an idea, and I was hoping you could help me.”
Natasha jerked a little at Caroline’s excitement, but then quickly grabbed the collar of her yellow, cashmere cardigan and plastered her tepid smile back in place. “What can I do for you, Caroline?”
“I want to start a support group for newly turned vampires. Do you think they’d let me have that here at the clinic? And do you think you could help me get the word out, send people my way?”
Natasha’s smile made it all the way to her eyes for once, crinkling the skin beside them. “That’s a lovely idea. You’d have to talk to Alec about it, but I’m sure he’d be happy to listen. Would you like me to see if he’s available?”
“That’d be great.” Caroline grinned. It was definitely good to have friends in the right places. Since she was friends with Alec’s sister, Piper, he already knew and respected her.
Natasha picked up the phone and pressed a button then tossed her long, brown hair over her shoulder and put the receiver to her ear. “Alec, Caroline Weston is here, and she’d like to talk to you if you have a minute.”
She listened for a moment, smiled, said thank you, then hung up. “He’s in his office. You can go on back. Down the hall, last door on the left.”
Caroline resisted the urge to clap her hands and jump up and down and instead gave Natasha a smile and a thanks then hurried down the hallway. When she got to his door, she glanced down and realized she was still in her work uniform. She probably should’ve gone home and changed first, but oh well. At least she was clean.
She knocked on the door and opened it when Alec called out, “Come in.”
She’d never been in his office before, but it looked exactly how she would’ve imagined it. Plain, professional, with every item on his spotless desk neatly arranged. Basically the exact opposite of his sister. The only thing they had in common was their copper hair. But while Piper’s was long, wild, and bushy, Alec’s was cut short and slicked neat.
He was also a head taller than his sister, rail thin compared to her soft curves, with a serious face that rarely broke a smile. But he was kind and gentle, and he’d always been friendly to Caroline in school even though he was several years older than her.
“Hi, Caroline. Good to see you. How are you doing?” He stood up, nodded, gestured for her to take one of the chairs in front of his desk, then sat down again, holding a hand against his tie.
“I’m doing good. I’m starting to get used to the whole vampire thing.” She smiled as she re
alized it was true.
When she was first turned, she thought death would be better than being a vampire, but she’d gotten used to drinking blood and avoiding the sun, and she learned that who she was inside hadn’t changed that much. She could still be a good person, even if she was a vampire. Maybe turning Houston was a rash thing to do, but she’d done it with the best intentions.
“I want to start a support group for newly-turned vampires. I think they could really benefit from the opportunity to meet others like them, and I’d like to help them with the transition, especially since there aren’t enough mentors.”
Alec was silent for a moment as he rubbed a finger along the edge of his desk blotter, then his somber face softened in a rare smile. “That’s a great idea, Caroline.”
Caroline couldn’t contain the giant smile that stretched her own face. That made two people who liked her idea. It just confirmed her opinion that Roric was being too overprotective.
Caroline scooted to the front of her chair and put her hands on the edge of Alec’s desk. “I need a place to have the meeting, and I need a way to let new vampires know about it. I was hoping you could help me with that.”
Alec shook his head, and the gesture confused her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to host the meeting here unless we have a staff member present, and I can’t devote the personnel to that at the moment. I also can’t give out client names without their permission.”
Caroline’s enthusiasm dropped with each word he spoke. She slid her hands off the desk, leaving behind damp fingerprints on the shiny mahogany. Where could she have the meeting if she couldn’t have it there? Roric probably wouldn’t let her have it at his house since he didn’t want her to have it in the first place. Restaurants were out because no one would feel comfortable talking about their vampire problems out in public.
Obsessed with the Vampire: A Paranormal Romance (Vampire Enforcement Agency Book 2) Page 12
